The Condensed 45 Days
by Alarming To The Senses
Summary: "Marshall has jumped off the roof with only balloons attached to him, shaved his hair on his wedding day, and bought Lily and himself a house when they were downright broke. Here are mine. Mistake number one: Saint Patrick's Day of '08. Mistake number two: My tramp stamp. Mistake number three, the mistake that came to be known as The Condensed 45 Days."


_"Kids, I've told you the stories off the three biggest mistakes of your uncle Marshall's life, but I have yet to tell you the four biggest mistakes of mine, and yes I said four. Your father isn't as perfect as you may think he is-"_

_"We don't think you're perfect."_

_"Marshall has jumped off the roof with only balloons attached to him, shaved his hair on his wedding day, and bought Lily and himself a house when they were downright broke. Here are mine. Mistake number one: Saint Patrick's Day of '08. Mistake number two: My tramp stamp. Mistake number three, the mistake that came to be known as The Condensed 45 Days."_

"So you're moving to Chicago tomorrow, huh? How do you feel?" Marshall asked.

"Uh, I'm looking forward to it. The job's amazing. I got a great apartment lined up. You know, it's It's exciting." I told them and it really was exciting. "This is a brand new start for me. Everything's really going to go uphill from here. Onwards and upwar-"

"Hold me close and hold me fast, the magic spell you cast. This is la vie en rose."

_"Now kids, I told you about your mother singing La Vie En Rose. I told you about the first time I heard her sing that song, I told you about the times she sung you to sleep, but I never told you about the time she sang it at Uncle Barney and Aunt Robin's wedding."_

"That's her." I said, my mouth agape. That was the girl who was in the room next to me with the voice of a million angels, but this time she didn't sound as broken. She sounded whole.

"Who? The bassist?" Lily asked, not understanding. She didn't have to understand, no one did. I hushed her quickly, letting the voice of a million angels engulf me with delight.

"Give your heart and soul to me and life will always be la vie en rose."

I had never clapped louder nor longer than right there in that room.

"Grape Scotch! Ted, Ted, Ted, Ted." Barney sprinted towards me with every ounce of strength he had to spare without using too much. He had to conserve energy for Honeymoon sex. "Right here, right here, - right here, right here."

"Yeah, I-I see you, Barney." I laughed. It's hard to even believe that he's married!

"Good, great. Then it's time to play a little game I like to call Have-"

"Yeah, Barney, I - No, no."

"You are not getting out of Have You Met Ted. There's a girl that you have to meet. She is perfect for you. And has she met you? No, she has not. Think of all the sex you're gonna ha-"

I cut him off once again. I can't have anything tying me down to New York. "Barney, I ha- I have to go."

"What, now?" Barney's face was wiped clear of happiness and joy. Not even Robin could make him smile at that moment. That moment was real. He was losing his best friend. Both of them.

I nodded my head.

"Just, just stay okay? At least until the band finishes." He begged, and I had no problem with that.

_"Kids, I could have sat there in that reception hall and listened to your mother strum her bass and sing all night long. She was great. Now that was my third biggest mistake. You remember my speech a while back, don't you? Twenty years ago about Robots vs. Wrestlers? Does that jog your memory a bit? _

_"Hi. I'm Ted Mosby. In exactly 45 days from now, you and I are going to meet. And we're going to fall in love. And we're going to get married and we're going to have two kids. And we're going to love them and each other so much. All that is 45 days away. But I'm here now, I guess, because I want those extra 45 days. With you. I want each one of them. And if I can't have them, I'll take the 45 seconds before your boyfriend shows up and punches me in the face. Because I love you. I'm always going to love you. Until the end of my days. And beyond."_

_"From the moment I heard your mother sing, I knew she was the one. It was my mistake to not do anything about it. I would have done anything in my life to get those extra 45 days with her, but when I knew it was her, I didn't take a stand. I didn't get those extra 45 minutes with her. Yes, I did meet her that night, but you have to understand, I would have done anything to be with her just a little bit longer."_

So I rushed out to make the train, which is now 45 minutes late.

_"Dad, you said you made four mistakes, but you only gave us three. What was the fourth?"_

_"Falling in love with Aunt Robin."_


End file.
